United Airlines will compensate passengers on flight where man was dragged off

CHICAGO — United Airlines sought to quell the uproar over a
man being dragged off a plane by announcing on Tuesday that it
would no longer ask police to remove passengers from full flights
and would compensate customers who were on the flight when the
man was removed.

In an interview with ABC's "Good Morning America" aired
Wednesday, United parent company CEO Oscar Munoz said he felt
"ashamed" watching video of the man being forced off the jet. He
has promised to review the airline's passenger-removal policy.

Munoz, who leads United's parent company, apologized again to
Kentucky physician David Dao, his family and the other passengers
who witnessed him being taken off the flight.

"That is not who our family at United is," he said. "This will
never happen again on a United flight. That's my promise."

In the future, law enforcement will not be involved in removing a
"booked, paid, seated passenger," Munoz said. "We can't do that."

In an effort to calm the backlash, United also announced that
passengers on United Express Flight 3411 would be compensated
equal to the cost of their tickets. United spokeswoman Megan
McCarthy said Wednesday that the passengers can take the
compensation in cash, travel credits or miles.

The flight was loaded and preparing to leave Chicago's O'Hare
International Airport on Sunday when the man was dragged off.
Video shot by passengers showing the man's bloodied face went
viral on social media, prompting a storm of protest.

Also Wednesday, a Chicago alderman said representatives from
United and the city's Aviation Department have been summoned
before a city council committee to answer questions about the
confrontation at O'Hare Airport.

Alderman Mike Zalewski said he did not know who will represent
the airline before the Aviation Committee, but Munoz has been
notified of the hearing scheduled for Thursday.

Chicago Aviation Commissioner Ginger Evans will also speak.

Munoz called the incident a "system failure" and said United
would reassess its procedures for seeking volunteers to give up
their seats when a flight is full. United was trying to find
seats for four employees, meaning four passengers had to deplane.

It was at least Munoz's fourth statement about the confrontation.

After the video first emerged, he said the airline was reaching
out to the man to "resolve this situation."

Hours later on Monday, his tone turned defensive. He described
the man as "disruptive and belligerent."

By Tuesday afternoon, almost two days after the Sunday evening
events, Munoz issued another apology.

"No one should ever be mistreated this way," Munoz said.

United Airlines CEO Oscar
Munoz.AP Photo/Richard
Drew

The passenger was identified as Dao, a 69-year-old physician from
Elizabethtown, Kentucky.

Attorneys for Dao filed court papers Wednesday asking the airline
and the city of Chicago to preserve evidence in the case. Those
documents are often the first steps toward a lawsuit. His legal
team planned to hold a news conference Thursday to discuss the
matter with reporters.

Airport officials have said little about Sunday's events and
nothing about Dao's behavior before he was pulled from the jet
that was bound for Louisville, Kentucky.

Likewise, the Chicago Aviation Department has said only that one
of its employees who removed Dao did not follow proper procedures
and has been placed on leave. The department announced Wednesday
that two more officers have been placed on leave.

No passengers on the plane have mentioned that Dao did anything
but refuse to leave the plane when he was ordered to do so.

The event stemmed from a common air travel issue — a full flight.

At first, the airline asked for volunteers, offering $400 and
then when that did not work, $800 per passenger to relinquish a
seat. When no one voluntarily came forward, United selected four
passengers at random.

Three people got off the flight, but the fourth said he was a
doctor and needed to get home to treat patients on Monday. He
refused to leave.

That's when three Aviation Department police officers boarded the
plane. When Dao refused to leave his seat, one of the officers
could be seen grabbing the screaming man from his window seat and
dragging him down the aisle by his arms.

Other passengers on Flight 3411 are heard saying, "Please, my
God," ''What are you doing?" ''This is wrong," ''Look at what you
did to him" and "Busted his lip."

The US Department of Transportation announced Tuesday that it was
reviewing Sunday's events to see if United violated rules on
overselling flights. The four top-ranking members of the Senate
Commerce Committee asked the airline and Chicago airport
officials for more information about what happened.